F-16 scrambled after plane strays into Obama's restricted airspace

An F-16 fighter jet intercepted a small private plane after it entered airspace that had been restricted because of a visit by President Barack Obama to Los Angeles on Wednesday night, defense officials told NBC News.

The single-engine Cessna 117 was intercepted northwest of Los Angeles shortly before 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET) and escorted to a landing at a small nearby airfield where it was met by law enforcement officers, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

The AP said there have have been similar incidents when Obama visited Los Angeles in the past. In May, a pilot mistakenly flew into restricted airspace as the president was about to leave the city from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

A similar scenario played out during Obama's February visit, when F-16 jets intercepted a plane that entered the airspace of Obama's helicopter, Marine One. That plane was forced to land at Long Beach Airport, where police said they found about 40 pounds of marijuana during a search of the Cessna, and the pilot was arrested.